#80 Battle XIII - The Ambush of the Ambushers

1500pt Soulblight Gravelords against... more Soulblight Gravelords! My first battle with Dave, whom I had met online some time ago but not in person until today. My Legion of Blood army was led by Lady Beauvoir and the Bloody Pilgrims, while Dave's force was Kastelai, led by the Vengorian Lady Katarina Valencourt. We played The Trap battleplan, but adapted it to allow reserves so Dave's knights could outflank me as it made for a good narrative!

The Saviours of Barfunweltz

Icy water dripped silently from the twisted branches of the blasted trees. Far off in the valley below, the huge Dawnbringer Crusade futilely tried to conceal its presence as it crept furtively across Barfun Moor. Lady Beauvoir had planned to ambush it at this point where it passed beneath these woods, but she had discovered in her scrying pool that some other Gravelords had had the same idea.

Just out of the woods by an abandoned farmstead, a vampire named Lord Draven Valencourt had made camp with his deathrattle minions. She discerned the force was small but the fact remained that it was trespassing on her territory. She willed her deadwalkers forward.

The silence was broken by the sound of snapping twigs and guttural moaning as the zombies who had once been Glymmsmen shambled out of the woods. The enemy deathrattle instantly formed a defensive line and the deadwalkers ploughed into them with a dull crunch.

Lady Beauvoir and the Bloody Pilgrims watched from their Coven Throne. Zombie after zombie and skeleton after skeleton was hacked or dragged down only to be raised up again to continue their grisly task. It was clear that this fight could last some time, but Beauvoir was confident that her superior numbers would eventually overcome. 

Yet as they fought, the Dawnbringer Crusade was escaping.

Suddenly a horn sounded from the fells behind their vantage point. Turning around, the Bloody Pilgrims beheld a line of Blood Knights charging down towards the rear of their position, led by a fearsome Vengorian, flying with Vargheists at her side. As the knights charged, her name was their battle cry: "Lady Katarina! For Valencourt! For Valencourt!"

Lady Beauvoir's ambush had been ambushed.

The charge of the Blood Knights hit hard. The Bloody Pilgrims withstood the initial impact but their entire Grave Guard was wiped out instantly. Then Lady Katarina herself piled in, along with more blood knights, even as the Vargheists smashed through the trees to feed upon the delicacies of the Revivalist's Corpse Cart. Lady Beauvoir and her coven fought desperately from atop their throne, but they were no match for the Valencourt knights.

But just as suddenly as they had arrived, the Blood Knights stopped fighting. Lady Katarina had raised her sabre as a signal, and the well-drilled Kastelai obeyed without hesitation. Then she spoke.

"Servant of Neferata, I perceive we are here with common cause." Lady Beauvoir haughtily met the Vengorian's gaze, her pride indefatigable. "You too had in mind to ambush these so-called 'Crusaders' of Sigmar. We shall both profit more and sup finer blood if we join together to slaughter the mortals, rather than attack each other."

The Bloody Pilgrims looked at each other and smiled. These Kastelai would make valuable allies and there were plenty of plump mortals to go around.

"I am Lady Beauvoir of Barfunweltz," she declared, "and I gladly accept your offer of alliance." As she settled back onto the rancid cushions of her throne, only her handmaidens Paule and Anya heard her mutter under her breath, "...precisely as I foresaw."

We managed to play less that a turn and a half, but the Kastelai were clearly winning. I think I'd like to get hold of some Blood Knights!

#81 A TALE OF SALAS NOVA